142 West 139th Street, Manhattan, NY 10030

The five-story New Law Tenement building at 142 West 139th Street in Harlem, owned by Robert Raphael, has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues over the past two years. The property, built in 1910 and containing 20 units, has faced recurring heating and hot water problems, with multiple emergency complaints in late 2024 and 2025. More recently, in May 2025, there was a window frame issue that could not be inspected by HPD due to lack of access.

The building has also struggled with pest control, particularly regarding rodent infestations, with multiple inspections showing rat activity and bait application throughout 2024-2025. Notable violations were issued in November 2024 for unsanitary conditions related to garbage/recycling storage and insect infestations (including roaches) in multiple units, as well as issues with waste receptacles and building maintenance. The property has recorded several concerning safety issues, including carbon monoxide detector violations and smoke detector problems in Unit 2B in late 2024.

There were also multiple violations related to the boiler system, with an active ECB violation from April 2023 regarding heating system access information. While the building has had several Department of Buildings violations from 2018-2023, regarding various issues including building shaking and unlicensed activity, it's worth noting that many violations, particularly for failure to file annual boiler inspections, were ultimately dismissed. Recent rodent control inspections in early 2025 have shown consistent rat activity, with bait being applied throughout the building. The most recent bedbug report from December 2024 indicated one infested unit that was successfully eradicated, though previous reports from 2021-2024 showed zero or limited infestations.